Biodiesel and Ethanol

Oakland Plant to Launch Biodiesel Retail Sales

April 19, 2011
• by Staff

OAKLAND, CA – Sirona Fuels, which owns a commercial-scale biodiesel production facility in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced that its biodiesel fuel will be available for purchase at the Blue Sky Bio-Fuels facility in Oakland beginning on Earth Day, April 22.

Sirona Fuels has been supplying biodiesel to distributors and retailers throughout the Bay Area for the past two years.

The biodiesel fuel will be sold at an average savings of over 25 cents per gallon compared with petroleum-based diesel, the company said. Additionally, when local businesses recycle their used cooking oil with Sirona Fuels, 20 percent of the sale price of the resulting biodiesel will go to the Sirona Cares Foundation to support Bay Area schools and other educational programs for children.

"With diesel prices at an all-time high, consumers and businesses are being crippled," said Paul Lacourciere, CEO of Sirona Fuels. "Used cooking oil is considered a waste stream by many in the restaurant industry, and as a local fuel producer we recognize its potential value through its conversion to ultra low-carbon fuel. We pass the savings on to consumers and businesses alike, enabling businesses to lower operating costs and create more local jobs while improving the environment."

It is estimated that there are 10 million gallons of used cooking oil produced each year in the Bay Area, but less than 10 percent of that oil goes to the production of sustainable biofuels.

Renewable Dairy Fuels has expanded production at its biogas operation at Fair Oaks Farms by 30% and now has the capacity to produce over 2.3 million gallons per year of 100% renewable transportation fuel from dairy waste.